| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 7–21, 1980[1] |
| Teams | 4 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Philadelphia Phillies (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Kansas City Royals |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 14 |
| Attendance | 731,285 (52,235 per game) |
| MostHRs | Willie Aikens (KC) (4) |
| MostSBs | Larry Bowa (PHI) (4) |
| MostKs (as pitcher) | Steve Carlton (PHI) (23) |
| Awards | |
| MVP | Mike Schmidt (PHI) |
The1980 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament ofMajor League Baseball for the1980 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in aLeague Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in theWorld Series.
In the American League, both theNew York Yankees andKansas City Royals were making their fourth postseason appearance in the past five seasons.
In the National League, thePhiladelphia Phillies also returned for the fourth time in the past five seasons, and theHouston Astros made their first postseason appearance in franchise history.
All four teams would return during the expanded1981 postseason, as due to the lockout-shortened season, the season was split in half and the division leaders during each half qualified for the postseason. They would also appear in the expanded2024 postseason.
The playoffs began on October 7, 1980, and concluded on October 21, 1980, with the Phillies defeating the Royals in six games in the1980 World Series. This was the first championship in franchise history for the Phillies.
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
| League Championship Series (ALCS,NLCS) | World Series | |||||||
| East | NY Yankees | 0 | ||||||
| West | Kansas City | 3 | ||||||
| AL | Kansas City | 2 | ||||||
| NL | Philadelphia | 4 | ||||||
| East | Philadelphia | 3 | ||||||
| West | Houston | 2 | ||||||
Kansas City won the series, 3–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 8 | New York Yankees – 2,Kansas City Royals – 7 | Royals Stadium | 3:00 | 42,598[6] |
| 2 | October 9 | New York Yankees – 2,Kansas City Royals – 3 | Royals Stadium | 2:51 | 42,633[7] |
| 3 | October 10 | Kansas City Royals – 4,New York Yankees – 2 | Yankee Stadium | 2:59 | 56,588[8] |
This was the fourth meeting between these two teams in the ALCS in the past five years. After three previous failed attempts, the Royals finally broke through, sweeping the Yankees to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history (in the process denying a rematch of the1950 World Series between the Yankees and Phillies).
Kansas City aceLarry Gura outdueledRon Guidry as the Royals blew out the Yankees in Game 1. In Game 2, the Royals jumped out to an early lead and managed to hold it, as they fended off a late rally by the Yankees in the top of the eighth to win by a 3–2 score and go up 2–0 in the series headed to the Bronx. In Game 3, the Yankees held a 2–1 lead after six innings, but couldn't hold it asGeorge Brett hit a three-run home run off Yankees' relief pitcherGoose Gossage, putting the Royals ahead for good. The Royals clinched the pennant with a one-two-three ninth inning, exacting long-awaited revenge on the team that eliminated them from the postseason three consecutive times. The Yankees became the fifth 100+ win team to be swept in the postseason and the first since the1976 Philadelphia Phillies.
The Royals returned to the ALCS in1984, but were swept by the eventual World Series championDetroit Tigers. Their next pennant came in1985 against theToronto Blue Jays in seven games after trailing 3–1 in the series, en route to their first World Series title.
The Yankees returned to the ALCSthe next year and swept theOakland Athletics before falling in the World Series. This was the last time the Yankees were swept in the ALCS until2012.
As of 2026, this is the only time the Royals defeated the Yankees in the postseason. Both teams would meet again44 years later in theALDS, which was won by the Yankees before they fell in the World Series.
Philadelphia won the series, 3–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 7 | Houston Astros – 1,Philadelphia Phillies – 3 | Veterans Stadium | 2:35 | 65,277[9] |
| 2 | October 8 | Houston Astros – 7,Philadelphia Phillies – 4(10) | Veterans Stadium | 3:34 | 65,476[10] |
| 3 | October 10 | Philadelphia Phillies – 0,Houston Astros – 1(11) | Astrodome | 3:22 | 44,443[11] |
| 4 | October 11 | Philadelphia Phillies – 5,Houston Astros – 3(10) | Astrodome | 3:55 | 44,952[12] |
| 5 | October 12 | Philadelphia Phillies – 8,Houston Astros – 7(10) | Astrodome | 3:38 | 44,802[13] |
This was the first postseason meeting between the Astros and Phillies, as well as the first postseason series ever played in the state ofTexas. This edition of the NLCS is remembered as the closest and most grueling playoff series in MLB history. The series went to its five-game limit, with the final four games going into extra innings. The Phillies prevailed in five tightly contested games to return to the World Series for the first time since1950.
Game 1 was the only game of the series to not go into extra innings - the Astros held a 1–0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, untilGreg Luzinski hit a two-run home run to put the Phillies ahead for good (Luzinski's home run was the only one of this series).
Game 2 was an offensive slugfest which went into extra innings - in the top of the tenth, the Astros scored four runs with three hits - an RBI single byJosé Cruz, a run-scoring groundout byCésar Cedeño, and a two-run triple byDave Bergman. The Phillies got an unearned run in the bottom of the inning on an error byCraig Reynolds at shortstop, but Astros relieverJoaquín Andújar came in and held on for the save to tie the series at 1–1 headed to Houston.
Game 3 was the first postseason game played in Texas, and it was a long and grueling pitchers' duel between both teams’ pitching staffs. Houston'sJoe Niekro pitched ten shutout innings, but it wasn't enough for him to get the win, which went to Astros relief pitcherDave Smith. The Astros won 1–0 in the bottom of the eleventh asDenny Walling hit a sacrifice fly to drive inJoe Morgan, and were now one win away from their first ever World Series appearance.
Game 4 went into extra innings yet again, and the Phillies would even the series as Luzinski entered as a pinch-hitter and doubled homePete Rose with the go-ahead run on a close play at the plate, with Rose running over Astros catcherBruce Bochy.Manny Trillo then singled home Luzinski with an insurance tally.
Game 5 was the most notable of the series. The Astros held a 5–2 lead after seven innings and were six outs away from clinching the pennant. However, in the top of the eighth, the Phillies loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight singles, including an infield hit byBob Boone and a bunt single byGreg Gross. Two runs came in on a walk to Rose and a ground-out byKeith Moreland. An RBI single byDel Unser tied the game at 5, and then Trillo put the Phillies ahead with a two-run triple. The Astros tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, withRafael Landestoy and Cruz each singling in a run. The game went scoreless through the ninth, and went into extra innings for the fourth straight time. In the top of the tenth, the Phillies got doubles from Unser andGarry Maddox in the tenth to take the lead for good.Dick Ruthven retired the Astros in order in the bottom of the tenth the last out being a soft liner to Maddox, clinching the pennant for the Phillies.
This was the first of three consecutive losses in the NLCS for the Astros. They returned to the NLCS in1986, but they lost to the eventual World Series championNew York Mets in six games. They also made the NLCS in2004, but fell to theSt. Louis Cardinals in seven games after being ten outs away from the pennant in Game 7. The Astros would win their first pennant in2005 over the Cardinals in six games before coming up short in the World Series, which would be their only one as a National League member.
The Phillies would win their next pennant in1983 over theLos Angeles Dodgers in four games before falling in the World Series.
The Astros and Phillies would meet again 42 years later in the2022 World Series which the Astros, now members of theAmerican League, won in six games.
Philadelphia won the series, 4–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 14 | Kansas City Royals – 6,Philadelphia Phillies – 7 | Veterans Stadium | 3:01 | 65,791[14] |
| 2 | October 15 | Kansas City Royals – 4,Philadelphia Phillies – 6 | Veterans Stadium | 3:01 | 65,775[15] |
| 3 | October 17 | Philadelphia Phillies – 3,Kansas City Royals – 4(10) | Royals Stadium | 3:19 | 42,380[16] |
| 4 | October 18 | Philadelphia Phillies – 3,Kansas City Royals – 5 | Royals Stadium | 2:37 | 42,363[17] |
| 5 | October 19 | Philadelphia Phillies – 4,Kansas City Royals – 3 | Royals Stadium | 2:51 | 42,369[18] |
| 6 | October 21 | Kansas City Royals – 1,Philadelphia Phillies – 4 | Veterans Stadium | 3:00 | 65,838[19] |
This was the first edition of the World Series since1920 to feature two teams that had not won a World Series title before. The Phillies defeated the Royals in six games to win their first World Series title in franchise history, ending what was the longest championship drought in all four major North American leagues.[20]
Game 1 was an offensive slugfest which the Phillies won 7–6 - it marked the first time that the Phillies won a World Series game since Game 1 of the1915 World Series against theBoston Red Sox. The Phillies rallied late to take Game 2 after scoring four unanswered runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Kansas City. The Royals got on the board in Game 3, asWillie Aikens drove inWillie Wilson with an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth. In Game 4, the Royals jumped out to an early 5–1 lead and did not relinquish it, as closerDan Quisenberry held off a potential rally by the Phillies to even the series at two. In Game 5, the Royals held a 3–2 lead after eight innings, but the Phillies managed to come back.Del Unser drove inMike Schmidt with an RBI double to tie the game, and thenManny Trillo drove in the go-ahead run with a line shot that ricocheted off Quisenberry for an infield hit, which was almost thrown out byGeorge Brett. Phillies' closerTug McGraw held the Royals' offense at bay in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Phillies a 3–2 lead headed back home. The Phillies clinched the title in Game 6, as they jumped out to an early lead and did not relinquish it, winning 4–1 to secure their first title in franchise history. This would ultimately bePete Rose’s last World Series championship.
The Phillies became the last of the "Original Sixteen" franchises to win a World Series title (although theSt. Louis Browns never won a Series in St. Louis, waiting until1966, twelve years after becoming theBaltimore Orioles).[21] It was the first time the city ofPhiladelphia won a World Series since theAthletics did so in1930, as well as the second straight World Series title won by a team fromPennsylvania after thePittsburgh Pirates did sothe previous year. The Phillies would return to the World Seriesthree years later, but they lost to theBaltimore Orioles in five games. They would win their next and most recent championship in2008 over theTampa Bay Rays in five games to end a 28-year championship drought.
The Royals would return to the World Series in1985, where they defeated their in-state rival in theSt. Louis Cardinals in seven games after trailing 3–1 in the series and being two outs away from elimination in Game 6.
ABC televised both LCS nationally in the United States. Each team's local broadcaster also televised coverage of LCS games.NBC aired the World Series.
